I do quite a lot of driving, both in Australia and overseas. Often the journey is to places where I have never been before, and so I am unfamiliar with the route, the types of roads I will be travelling on or what traffic conditions, accidents or roadwork delays I might face. So on these … Continue reading Real Time Guidance on Mission Highway
Leadership of a Star Trek Kind
There is a story about Air Chief Marshall Dowding commander of British Fighter Command during the critical stages of the Battle of Britain in World War 2. Reportedly, an officer rushed up to Dowding with what he thought was exciting news regarding the number of the enemy shot down on the previous day. “That’s good”, … Continue reading Leadership of a Star Trek Kind
Unbounded Church Gathering
Regrettably, despite several decades of increased missional endeavour the result has been continuing decline in the numbers of those being won for Christ in Australian society, with a consequent decline in the standard church. It is evident that we urgently need to develop 'Another way' of doing church and mission for the sake of the … Continue reading Unbounded Church Gathering
Red Giants Fading
While certainly being no expert I’ve always been interested in astronomy and the awesome panoply of the star-spattered night sky. With this interest has come some knowledge of the constellations one of which I always look for is the Hunter, Orion. One of the stars comprising Orion, Betelgeuse, is in the class of stars called … Continue reading Red Giants Fading
When the Bough Breaks
There is a man sitting on a bough of a tree. The Tree is very, very old, some think perhaps two thousand years. The Tree is the source of the branch, from small bud grown to a mighty bough, battered and blasted by centuries of gales a plenty but sturdy and undefeated. Larger growing, season … Continue reading When the Bough Breaks
A Beautiful Spectrum
One of the constant problems I have is trying to explain that the ’Unbounded Church’ is a ‘Concept’ not a model. To really grasp this means understanding that the principles for Christian Community found in the New Testament can be expressed in a multitude of different ways. This means that a wide variety of designer Missional Communities … Continue reading A Beautiful Spectrum
Small Is Beautiful
There is a well-known saying that ‘Small is beautiful’. This is certainly true in the context of mission to our 21st century society retreating as it is at an increasing rate from its Christian heritage. The process of de-Christianization, the evacuation of the gospel from the fabric of culture is clearly indicated in the recent … Continue reading Small Is Beautiful
True ‘Success’ Can Be Replicated
It is not uncommon to be told about a particular church which is very ‘successful’. The story usually contains accounts of growing attendances, thriving youth groups, new families etc, and also sometimes a charismatic leader. Such churches often then become the ‘model’ we are all to copy. Where such a story is true we should … Continue reading True ‘Success’ Can Be Replicated
New Shoots Amid Silent Bells
The small building stands, weatherboard, old and quiet now, a family home- unremarked, but where once hoards of children Sunday chattered. A clue nearby, a small tower and still the bell, but for long years silent. Where once the church, Jesus’ families in numbers gathered, no longer so. But silence and death’s symbol, yesteryear’s relic … Continue reading New Shoots Amid Silent Bells
It’s Groundhog day – Again!
One of my favourite movies is Groundhog Day. This is the story of a man (‘Phil’ played by Bill Murray) who is trapped in a repeated cycle of having to live the same day over and over again. This is even to the detail of getting his foot soaked in the same puddle every morning! … Continue reading It’s Groundhog day – Again!
